Dunks

I've recently been researching 'Mavis' for Wikipedia and it's a fascinating subject, albeit on that is woefully short on hard facts -- there's tragically little information about the production history. However, I'm pleased to report (re: the comments above by joliy) that a large number of programs from the 1964-66 period -- including the pilot episode -- have survived, and these are now preserved in the National Film & Sound Archive in Canberra. Sadly though it seems that little from the 1967-68 period has survived, probably because Seven was by then using videotape to record the show rather than the old telecine process, in which the show was captured from a monitor on 16mm film. I was also fascinating to learn that the late great Ron Frazer is now being acknowledged as the person responsible for popularising the term "ocker", thanks to his character of that name in the series. There are a few brief sketches that can be viewed on YouTube - Al Thomas does a wicked Julius Sumner Miller impression, and I especially like the "Golf Girls" sketch with Noeline, June and Arlene Dorgan -- there's a classic put-down during that routine where Noeline describes Arlenes golf slacks viewed from behind as looking like "two koalas trying to escape from a beanbag"! Hopefully somewhere down the track the NFSA will be able to put together a compilation of the best bits, so that younger generations can see what all the fuss was about.

Probably the best American film since "Fight Club". Kaufman is a genius, and along with David Fincher he has to be one of the most original and creative people working in mainstream American cinema today. This has to be his masterpiece.

Contrary to what some other reviewers feel, I believe that this is a VERY deep movie, and very disturbing in many ways. By the time the credits were rolling I found myself saying out loud "This is probably the most intelligent American movie I've ever seen." and that's not something I usually think after seeing a mainstream Hollywood feature.

I'm not at all scared by horror or thriller movies, but I literally had nightmares after watching this. Maybe I was more open to its message, having just lost a parent, but I found the way it approached its major themes -- love, memory, identity and loss, the power of science -- incredibly moving and deeply affecting, and yet it was so brilliantly handled, structurally dazzling, full of mordant humour, and moved along at such a cracking pace that the whole film felt about 1/2-hour long to me.

It's also -- despite what others have said -- a tour-de-force example of how CGI can be used well -- to create some profoundly unsettling visual imagery, very Freudian in parts -- a veritable blitzkrieg of surreal images, yet I never felt that (a la Star Wars) it was just technophilia.

Some of the scenes had truly chilling overtones -- the "winking out" of the people in the scene in the concourse at Grand Central Station; the fading covers of the books, Lacuna's systematic removal of all physical traces of the people being erased; the sinister banality of the staff, "just doing their job" -- and not very well at that -- as they go about the task of erasing people's memories. If Lacuna doesn't remind you of all those poor Russians who were rendered "non persons" by the KGB's patient, mundane, bureaucracy I think you're missing something.

I cannot recommend this film too highly and I firmly believe it will come to be regarded as one of the best American films ever made.

I can only second all the preceding calls that this masterpiece of modern American comedy be issued on DVD. It was shown here in Australia in the late 80s and missed by most, but I was lucky enough to see it and it remains a cherished memory. My girlfriend (now wife) and I and all our flatmates laughed our guts out at the time, but how dearly I wish now that I'd kept the videotape!

I loved the whole cast, Carol really shines, must be her best comedy part ever IMO; the whole team is totally spot-on; this was my second major sighting of Bill Paxton, who's very funny indeed, and it's all done with such a straight face, a twinkle in the eye and *perfect* timing. Dabney Coleman at his hilarious, magnificent, slimy best best ... Charles Grodin (also a personal best IMO) hamming it up magnificently as the petulant Cane, Teri Garr fantastically funny as uber-bitch Talon ... Gregory Harrison perfect as the the mega-dumb Torch, who literally does not have his shirt on for one single shot in the entire show ... Valerie Mahaffey *wonderful* as the oh-so-dim Tiffany. The shot that stays in my mind is Carol's sidesplitting look of non-plussed resignation as she clambers into the back of the station wagon.

The script is brilliant, funny in its own right as well as striking its targets with perfect accuracy -- anyone who has ever watched any of the daytime or primetime soapies will squeal with laughter. It stripmines the entire genre for send-ups -- the overacting, the improbable shots and set-ups, the overblown emotions, the ridiculous names, the unbelievable plots and coincidences, the flouncy 'rivalry' between the antagonists, the gordian interpersonal relationships ... the whole Armenian name shtick ... oh I could go on for ages ...

It's really sad that this hasn't kicked on and attracted the kind of following that similar efforts like 'Soapdish' enjoy, because it's every bit as good.

I can only conclude by appealing: CBS - PLEASE issue this wonderful show on DVD RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! I've been waiting nearly 20 years - we all wanna see it. What's up? Don't you want the money???